LinkedIn stands out in the world of social media due to its unique approach: its algorithm is designed to prevent content from going viral.
Yes, you read that correctly. The LinkedIn algorithm focuses on connecting users with relevant professional advice and expertise. This requires a completely different approach than other platforms, where content often seeks primarily to entertain.
The latest updates to the LinkedIn algorithm highlight the importance of focusing on your own expertise more than ever. Here's what you need to know to work with the algorithm on the way to 2024.
Key Takeaways:
1. LinkedIn's Distinct Algorithm Approach:
- Unlike other platforms, LinkedIn prioritizes connecting users with relevant professional advice and expertise.
- Focus on showcasing your expertise for effective engagement on the platform.
2. Algorithm's Feed Curation Process:
- LinkedIn assesses user interests based on engagement patterns to curate an engaging and informative news feed.
- Spend more time on the platform for an optimized algorithmic experience.
3. Content Filtering:
- The algorithm categorizes posts to filter out spam, including emojis for artificial engagement and irrelevant comments.
- Genuine interactions and avoiding spam behaviors are crucial for content visibility.
4. Importance of Meaningful Engagement:
- Recent algorithm adjustments prioritize meaningful engagement, emphasizing thoughtful comments from individuals in relevant fields.
- Joining specific groups may not significantly impact content distribution without quality engagement.
5. June 2023 Algorithm Changes:
- LinkedIn aims to show more knowledge-sharing content and strengthen connections between people who know each other.
- Higher likelihood for direct connections to see your content; focus on personal and professional updates for visibility.
6. Strategic Content Sharing:
- To reach beyond direct connections, share knowledge, tips, or ideas to highlight relevant content for members based on interests and skills.
- Strengthen connections by providing valuable insights for enhanced visibility on the platform.
How does the LinkedIn algorithm work?
The LinkedIn algorithm is like your personal assistant on the platform, curating the posts that appear in your feed. How does it do that? It assesses your interests based on the topics, people, and types of posts you typically engage with.
With a community of 950 million members (and constantly growing), LinkedIn processes billions of posts daily. All of this is done with a clear purpose: to ensure that your news feed is as engaging and informative as possible.
LinkedIn's main goal is to highlight relevant and high-quality content, encouraging engagement. And here's the trick: the more time you spend on the platform, the better the algorithm will work for you. So, enjoy interesting and engaging content on LinkedIn!
LinkedIn determines whether your post is good content or spam.
The LinkedIn algorithm begins its task by categorizing your post to ensure it complies with the platform's community guidelines and policies, avoiding any behavior considered spam.
If the artificial intelligence identifies clear violations, the content is filtered. Some clear examples of spam according to LinkedIn include:
- Emojis or reaction polls designed to artificially boost engagement.
- Strings of nonsensical letters.
- Requests for likes, reactions, and actions.
- Excessive, irrelevant, or repetitive comments or messages.
If the content type isn't clear enough to be automatically filtered, it undergoes a human review. If it passes this review, the content will continue to be displayed on the platform. So, make sure to keep your interactions genuine and avoid behaviors that the algorithm detects as spam!
LinkedIn tests your content.
Once the LinkedIn algorithm ensures that your post isn't considered spam, it begins to look for signals of engagement to assess how valuable your content is to people in your close and extended networks.
Engagement is considered an excellent signal of value, but it's important to note that not all interactions carry the same weight. As you'll see below, recent adjustments to the LinkedIn algorithm place special emphasis on meaningful engagement. This translates to thoughtful comments from individuals in relevant fields.
For this reason, joining a group on LinkedIn may not have a significant impact on the distribution of your content unless it's a highly specific group of people genuinely interested in what you share. The quality of engagement is the key to standing out on LinkedIn!
Latest changes in the LinkedIn algorithm
In June 2023, LinkedIn announced significant changes to its algorithm based on user feedback, with the primary goals of:
- Showing more content that shares knowledge or advice.
- Strengthening connections between people who know each other.
How does this impact you practically? Firstly, there's a higher likelihood that people in your network will see your content, especially when it comes to personal and professional updates. After all, your contacts might be interested in learning about your new role, but your extended connections likely won't be.
The new LinkedIn algorithm means that your followers and connections have a greater chance of seeing your content, as there will be less content from people they are not connected with in their feeds.
To have your content reach beyond your direct connections, it's crucial to share knowledge, tips, or ideas. LinkedIn will highlight relevant content for members based on their interests and skills. So, start sharing valuable insights and strengthening those connections on LinkedIn!